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Dympna Casey and Kathy Murphy explore the advantages and disadvantages of using triangulation
Abstract
This paper describes how methodological triangulation was used in two nursing research studies. The literature identified a number of principles in reporting studies that used triangulation, including giving the rationale for using triangulation, detailing the process used to assist with triangulation and explaining how rigour was maintained. A brief review of triangulated studies revealed that few adhered fully to these principles. A 'within method' and an 'across method' study are used to illustrate how methodological triangulation was used, and the ways in which rigour was addressed are also described. In addition, the different contributions of triangulation to nursing research are highlighted.
key words
* across methods
* methodological triangulation
* mixed methods
* within method
This paper focuses on the use of methodological triangulation in nursing research. It gives an overview of methodological triangulation, its proposed uses and issues in its use. before examining these issues in the context of two studies. The real-life experiences of operationalising methodological triangulation and how issues raised in the literature were dealt with are described. One of the studies used an 'across methods' sequential design, with the qualitative phase preceding the quantitative phase. The other study used 'within methods' triangulation, where a range of qualitative methods was used simultaneously.
Methodological triangulation
Methodological triangulation - also referred to in the literature as mixedmethod research (Tashakkori and Teddlie 2002, Creswell and Piano Clark 2006) - is defined as the use of two or more research methods in a single study (Boyd 2001). Denzin (1989) identifies two types of methodological triangulation: 'across method' and 'within method'. Across method is where quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection are used in the one study (Denzin 1970. Mitchell 1986. Kimchi et al 1991. Boyd 2001).
Within method triangulation is where more than one method of data collection from the same design is used in a study to measure the same variables (Denzin 1989, Kimchi et al 1991). Within method triangulation can involve the use of data collection methods from the same research tradition, or the use of two or more research approaches from the same tradition: that is, triangulation of methods at the level of design In the one...